Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

أَيَّامٗا مَّعۡدُودَٰتٖۚ (2:184) "A limited number of days," Allah Almighty tells us. Every person's life, every moment we experience, is numbered. The month of Ramadan is a specific number of days set aside each year for fasting. Life itself is also numbered. Look how quickly half of Ramadan has already passed. The remainder will also go by because these days too are counted. These days are a tremendous blessing for those who honor them and truly understand their value. It is an extraordinary gift. This is unlike any worldly gain. The rewards of the hereafter are permanent, eternal treasures. Worldly gains are merely temporary. No matter how hard you strive, even if you possessed the entire world, Because your life is numbered, you will leave everything behind. Those who come after you will also live their counted days and then depart. However, if you appreciate the value of these days and recognize the gift Allah Almighty has given, fulfilling the necessary worship, its worth lasts forever. Even though this life is brief, these blessings never end. These are beautiful blessings that Allah Almighty has bestowed upon humanity. They are great honors. But most people remain unaware of this. In their arrogance, they say, "I know everything, I'm educated, I'm important. Why are you telling me these things? Who are you? What you're saying doesn't apply to someone as educated as me." Fine, let it not apply then. You'll discover that your life has passed by, your days have slipped away. In the end, you will be filled with regret. May Allah not make us among those who live with regret. May He make us among those who truly appreciate these days. May He grant us the ability to recognize their value and act accordingly, insha'Allah. May Allah make these days a source of goodness. May every moment of our lives be dedicated to pleasing Allah. May everything we experience be for Allah's pleasure. Allah Almighty doesn't need anything from you. He doesn't need your food, your drink, not even your worship. All your acts of worship benefit you alone. What matters to Allah is that you obey Him and seek His pleasure. Some foolish people still ask, "What is the meaning of life?" This is the meaning of life. Those who understand this find peace. Those who don't wander around in confusion. They think life is about "I'll exercise, I'll read books, I'll watch movies." Life isn't about that. We weren't created for these things. Our purpose is to earn Allah Almighty's pleasure. And Allah Almighty has made so much permissible for you. You can enjoy so many things. You can live a beautiful life without difficulty. When you earn Allah's pleasure, when you follow His path, every kind of beauty awaits. For everything that is forbidden, there is a permissible alternative. If you choose what is permissible, you succeed. If you choose what is forbidden, you lose. Even if you think you've won, you've gained nothing. May Allah protect us. May He make these beautiful days last, insha'Allah. May Allah never withhold His blessings and mercy from us. May He not let us stray from the right path.

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ (24:56) These are the fundamental commands of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla in Islam: prayer, zakat, and obedience to our Prophet. People generally pray and fast. Those with modest wealth give their zakat. But those with great wealth often struggle to give. Why? Because they have millions or billions. When they consider giving, it seems like a large amount to them. In reality, it's not a significant burden at all. It's only two and a half percent, which is nothing compared to taxes imposed by governments. Look at Europe and America, where they take nearly eighty percent in taxes. Allah 'Azza wa Jalla never burdens a person with more than they can bear. Not giving this zakat and keeping it for oneself is forbidden. It's essentially theft. You're taking what rightfully belongs to Allah and the poor. It's no longer your property. It's held in trust with you. You must pay it when the time comes. Don't worry about whether it's "too much" or "too little." Calculate it properly and give whatever amount is due. You only give it once a year, not monthly. Meanwhile, governments demand taxes every month. There's endless paperwork, hiring accountants, and various complications. You're obligated to pay taxes every month. But Allah 'Azza wa Jalla asks for zakat just once a year. And it's a very modest amount. An amount anyone can afford. Yet when wealth increases, a strange curse comes with it - even small percentages seem excessive. This is truly a curse. I mean it literally - a curse. It's a curse when someone consumes wealth that's forbidden to them. Then they wonder, "Why did my children turn out this way or that way?" There's no reason to be surprised. Most people consume what is forbidden. Even if we set aside interest, the main issue is zakat. That obligation is one hundred percent clear. We must be attentive to this. Don't be stingy. Haji Yaşar, may Allah have mercy on his soul, always used to say: "What you give with your own hand goes with you to the hereafter." He spoke the truth - no one can give on your behalf. It's uncertain whether what you leave behind will benefit those who remain, but for you, withholding charity brings nothing but harm. May Allah help us all. Our lower self is shuh, meaning extremely stingy. Shuh refers to excessive stinginess. May Allah save us from our own stinginess. Let us give what is due without hesitation. In truth, if the Muslim world gave zakat properly, not a single person would remain in poverty. No one in the world would go hungry. But sadly, this doesn't happen. May Allah help us all.

إِنَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ (7:128) This earth, the entire universe belongs to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. The earth is the property of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. He gives it to whomever He wills. People, those who live on earth, should not think that anything will remain theirs; everything will pass. Nothing remains for anyone. This wealth, property, land, house, palace, etc. - a person cannot take anything to the hereafter. What they leave behind is no longer theirs. What they leave behind will be taken by others. Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has given everything to people. These people think that the world is mine, this property is mine, everything is mine. Once they close their eyes, everything is gone, nothing remains. Sometimes a person sees that ancestors left us this heritage. They left these lands for the sake of Allah, they fought in jihad. They made it Muslim. But then you see that there is disbelief there. That's not important. What's important is that Allah 'Azza wa Jalla places whoever He wishes, whoever He wants to settle in that place. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, definitely places good people as owners in places that are Muslim. If there are evil ones, He wipes them away. There are these places where our ancestors became martyrs, shed their blood so that those places would become Islamic. Those who came later, despite not being disbelievers, from their own lineage, appear to be Muslim but have nothing to do with Islam. They have nothing to do with humanity either. They're solely running after their desires, their ego has mounted them and drives them. Wherever there is something to satisfy their desires, they chase after it. They've forgotten Allah 'Azza wa Jalla forgotten religion, forgotten everything. And then they think they will find goodness. Allah takes them away and puts good people in their place. For this reason, mankind should consider that I cannot live in this world aimlessly and do evil. They should fear Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. They should know that He will bring better people in their place; Allah 'Azza wa Jalla brings those who believe, good people. This is important. All Muslims have started to chase after Satan. They say there are many Muslims, one billion, two billion, but it has no value. Why? Because they follow their desires. Even if they appear to be Muslim, they still obey their desires in the smallest things. They do what their desires want. May Allah protect us. May He protect us from the evil of our desires, for the trust of our ancestors is with us. The best gifts to them are that we are on Allah's path. If we are not on Allah's path, they will be of no benefit to you. They will not help you. May Allah help us all. May Allah 'Azza wa Jalla send protectors to the Islamic world, insha'Allah.

Remain steadfast on the right way as you have been commanded, and those who have turned back with you as well, and do not transgress. (11:112) Allah Azza wa Jalla says: Be steadfast. Our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam said, "This verse made my hair turn gray": Shayyabatni Hud (Surah Hud made me gray) This is truly a profound verse. Steadfastness is something of great importance. This is the command of Allah Azza wa Jalla. What is steadfastness? It means to follow the straight path. Not wandering crookedly with lies and deception. You must walk completely straight. You will proceed as Allah Azza wa Jalla has commanded. If you do this, you'll have nothing to fear and no reason for grief. But if you stray from that path and wander here and there in the wrong direction... Moving sideways, backward, right, left, up, down - if you behave this way, you cannot reach your destination. Let alone reaching your destination, all kinds of troubles may befall you. Therefore, being steadfast on the way is challenging but essential. A person who is steadfast fears no one, feels no shame before anyone, and bows to no one. Because all the commands of Allah Azza wa Jalla are for our benefit. This command is one of the greatest: Being steadfast on the true way. Because the ego leads a person astray, draws them away from steadfastness, makes a mockery of them, and creates all sorts of problems. Therefore, a person who remains steadfast is safe from everyone. They are indebted to no one. They owe nothing to anyone and have no obligations. Our path is the path of our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. It means walking steadfastly along that way. Tariqah already means 'path'. Without deviating right or left on that path until the end of your life... After all, how long is life? Even if you lived a thousand years, it would still pass. Therefore, as long as you don't stray from that path, you won't face troubles. And you won't fear anyone. Who is the fearful person? The treacherous person. If a person harbors no treachery, they have nothing to fear. When there are secret and hidden affairs, people live in fear, thinking, "I wonder if these things will come to light and cause us trouble." But with steadfastness, when you know yourself well, you fear no one, you feel no shame before anyone, you experience no distress. One who is with Allah Azza wa Jalla is always at peace. Always... Even if the whole world crumbles, their heart remains peaceful, their inner self at rest. Because this world isn't worth even five cents. As the name suggests, dunya means lowly. Therefore, they do not worry about it. One who is with Allah is always at ease, always without distress, without fear. May Allah protect us. May we not stray from steadfastness, insha'Allah.

Indeed, you cannot guide those whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills. (28:56) Allah 'Azza wa Jalla says: "You cannot guide the one whom you love." He says this even to our Prophet. "Allah guides whom He wills." Those whom Allah grants guidance are chosen individuals. He has bestowed guidance upon them through His mercy. No matter how hard you try, without Allah's will, no one will find guidance. If Allah has granted you guidance, this is a tremendous blessing and honor from Him. Therefore, those who walk on Allah's path and have received guidance should be grateful: بالشكر تدوم النعم "Through gratitude, blessings endure." If you are not grateful, you will lose this blessing. May Allah protect us from that! This applies to every type of blessing. But the greatest blessing is faith, which brings peace and salvation to people both in this world and the hereafter. Through faith, one is freed from all kinds of hardships. This is why faith is the greatest blessing. Even if someone is poor, ill, or oppressed - if they have faith, these difficulties don't truly affect them. Without faith, one becomes anxious and troubled even over minor issues. They never find inner peace. Therefore, one must be grateful so that blessings remain. As mentioned, the most precious blessing is faith. The other blessings are sustenance, health, children, and worldly possessions. Through gratitude, all these blessings multiply and become more abundant. In these blessed days, we should be thankful that Allah has guided us to the right path. Because this guidance is not granted to everyone. Even in Muslim countries, there is no appreciation for believers. Many are blinded by worldly things and have made them their objects of honoring. Whatever they hear, they follow blindly as if it were required by law. But Allah has not granted them the opportunity of guidance. He has not bestowed this blessing upon them. Let us be grateful for the blessings He has given us, insha'Allah. Do not envy others for their worldly possessions, and do not ask Allah to make you like them. Ask Allah only to keep you steadfast on this righteous path. May Allah help us with this. May Allah's blessings remain and multiply, insha'Allah.

O you who believe, persevere and endure and remain steadfast and fear Allah that you may be successful. (3:200) Do good deeds and be patient! In this verse, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla commands us to be patient together and to do good. This is the command of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. What is Islam? It is the religion of goodness. There are good deeds to keep evil away. What we call goodness encompasses every form of beauty. This command comes from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. No harm comes from true Muslims. No harm comes from one who follows the path of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. A person who harms others is merely following their own desires. There is no place for this in Islam. In Islam, there is goodness for everyone, mercy for everyone, and it's essential to share all forms of beauty with everyone. This is the way of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. The opposite also exists; Satan's way is the path of evil. Satan wants evil for everyone, never good. He causes harm and creates enmity between people. That path belongs to Satan. Whoever follows that path has followed Satan. Allah's way is the path of beauty. It benefits both yourself and others. When you do good, you first do it for yourself. When you overcome your own desires and choose goodness, that goodness brings you all kinds of beauty and peace. Your rank rises in Allah's sight, and your hereafter becomes prosperous. If you do evil, the opposite happens. It is Allah 'Azza wa Jalla who forgives even those who do evil. If you seek forgiveness from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla, you will be forgiven. If you've violated others' rights, by apologizing to them and restoring their rights, you again do good for yourself. Because there is a day of reckoning for everything. Don't leave anything for that day. May Allah help us. Let us not violate anyone's rights. Let us not oppress anyone, insha'Allah. Let us live with the beauty of Islam, insha'Allah.

وهُوَ على كُلّ شَيءٍ قَدير The power of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla goes beyond the limits of our understanding and imagination. Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has power over everything and is able to do anything. The truly faithful know this. The believers understand this, while those without faith form their own opinions about it. Some say: "If I were in His place, I would make everyone Muslim." Allah 'Azza wa Jalla could do this if He willed. Consider your own condition. Sometimes you decide: "I will worship extensively," and you continue like this for a month or two, beyond what you can sustain. You perform the obligatory prayers and more voluntary prayers than necessary. Then you realize how difficult it is, and suddenly stop altogether. That's why moderation is best in all things. خير الأمور أوسطها So says our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. The middle path, of which our Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam speaks, is best; balance is key in all affairs. You should continue on this path without excessive effort and without excessive laziness, so that your life may be orderly and your hereafter blessed, so you may find salvation and attain Paradise. Don't commit to something you cannot maintain. As mentioned, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has power over everything. If He willed, He would not leave any person without faith. He could make everyone Muslim. This world is a place of testing. Everyone will receive what they deserve. Allah does not wrong anyone. One should not question the affairs of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla by asking "Why" and "How"; one must be careful of that. A person can fall into disbelief unknowingly. May Allah protect us from that. Be content with your own state. Thank Allah for your situation. May Allah make you steadfast in faith. May Allah protect you from overwhelming yourself, insha'Allah. May Allah preserve our faith for the sake of this Ramadan and may it be blessed for all of us, insha'Allah.

لَيَقُولَنَّ كَاَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ مَوَدَّةٌ يَا لَيْتَن۪ي كُنْتُ مَعَهُمْ فَاَفُوزَ فَوْزاً عَظ۪يماً (4:73) Regret... sometimes it's too late for regret. But as long as people live and sincerely repent for their actions and do penance, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has promised them good. This noble verse expresses that in the Hereafter it will be said: "If only I could have been with them to achieve a great gain." It's about a situation where one regrets at a point in the Hereafter, where regret no longer brings any benefit. In the Hereafter, you can regret as much as you want, it no longer helps. If you repent in this world, while you are still alive, then this repentance will benefit you. In the Hereafter, it no longer helps. You can regret as much as you want, it will not change anything anymore. If you repent in this world, then you win. If you repent of your bad deeds and return to Allah 'Azza wa Jalla, it brings you benefit. But there are some forms of regret that are worldly in nature and don't bring any benefit anyway. "Had I done this, had I hit that person, had I beaten this one, had I stolen that, had I done this" - all of that brings nothing. Because it will not give you any advantage. It doesn't harm either, perhaps it's even better that you didn't do it. If you regret evil that you have not done, it may not benefit, but it also does not harm. Because Allah 'Azza wa Jalla rewards good deeds. There is also a reward for one who has the intention to do good. But if someone has not done anything evil and says "I wish I had done it," nothing will be counted against him. Because Allah 'Azza wa Jalla rewards according to the actual deed. Therefore, we see today how people live in this world, and many say: "No matter where we go, nobody fasts, everywhere people are just eating and drinking." Don't worry about that. They are the ones who will regret. Allah gives you spiritual nourishment, spiritual beauty, spiritual goodness. But the stuff that those others eat will become poison for them. Especially during the time of Ramadan. We say: May Allah guide them. In the past, there were Armenian, Christian, and Greek neighbors. Even they would not eat in front of you during Ramadan because they said: "You are fasting." Now those who call themselves Muslims eat. May Allah guide them. It is harmful for them, it does them no good. Every bite they eat is forbidden and becomes poison in their body. May Allah protect us from that. If they repent and return to the right path, everything will be forgiven. The important thing is sincere repentance. But whoever acts like this and believes he has gained an advantage is deceiving himself; the damage only affects him, not others. Others are not harmed by this. The greatest harm a person does is to his own ego. May Allah protect us, may Allah guide them, may He show them the right path. As said, the spiritual nourishment that Allah gives to the one who fasts is much more blessed. It is both healing for people as well as beauty and inner peace, insha'Allah. May Allah let it continue, may He bless our Ramadan.

إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةٞ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَ أَخَوَيۡكُمۡۚ (49:10) Allah 'Azza wa Jalla says that believers are like siblings. He warns us not to break the bonds between siblings. He calls on us to reconcile brothers with one another. For Islam is not about one's ego, but about pleasing Allah. Therefore, we must acknowledge the truth and follow this path. The devil and his followers do not want unity in Islam. He doesn't want Muslims to be united or to support each other. He constantly creates discord to divide them. Everyone who walks the path of faith has their own method, their own way. Once you have taken the right path, there is no reason to rebel against it or fight it. If something doesn't suit you, other legitimate paths within Allah's guidance are open to you. But just because you choose a different path within Islam, it is not good to declare your brother an enemy or show hostility when you are both ultimately walking on Allah's path. What displeases Allah 'Azza wa Jalla also displeases our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Discord, chaos, strife, and disunity – all of these are forbidden. A believer should not be at odds with another believer for more than three days, teaches our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. On Allah's path, there are already many enemies who want to bring you down. Many want to block this path. Do not give them the opportunity, warn Allah 'Azza wa Jalla and our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Even if it is difficult for one's ego – if it becomes too difficult, one can keep a distance. But keeping a distance does not mean attacking or doing evil. You offer your greeting, and they return it. Dispute and strife – these correspond neither to the teachings of our Prophet nor to the commandment of Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. The commandment is exactly the opposite. Reconcile with one another, do not harm one another, support one another – that is His instruction. For what the devil wants most is for Muslims to become enemies to one another. May Allah protect us from this. Let us not follow our ego. For if the ego is not restrained, it will always seek to cause harm. But if you bring it under control, good will come from it. May Allah protect us all. And success comes from Allah. Al-Fatiha.

This is one of our Prophet's beautiful prayers, peace be upon him: اللهم أيقظني في أحب الساعات إليك يا ودود In this prayer, our Prophet, peace be upon him, is asking Allah the Almighty to wake us during the hours most beloved to Him. We follow this tradition and repeat these words daily. Our daily prayers come from the hadiths of our Prophet, peace be upon him, from his beautiful teachings. We recite them, but often without truly understanding their meaning. The hours that Allah the Almighty loves most are the night hours. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, is asking, "Wake us up." Night worship (qiyam al-layl) isn't about staying awake all night, but praying two rak'ahs before sleeping, then waking up again to pray more. If you don't sleep at all, it cannot be considered tahajjud. For tahajjud, you must sleep first, then wake up to perform the tahajjud prayer, the night prayer. This is one of our most valuable acts of worship. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, says that two rak'ahs of tahajjud prayer bring greater reward than fifty rak'ahs. That's why sleeping at night and then waking to worship is so precious, even though it may feel difficult for our nafs (ego). In fact, the more difficult it is for our nafs, the more valuable the worship becomes. It is deeply beloved in Allah's sight. Allah the Almighty cherishes this form of worship. Today, people are distracted by so many things. In the past, there weren't as many distractions. One could sleep peacefully and wake up refreshed. Now many people complain, "I can't wake up for the morning prayer. I just can't get up in the morning. I feel so drowsy when dawn comes." They feel sleepy because their nafs is weighing them down. Our elders say: "Satan whispers in people's ears during the morning hours." That's why people struggle to wake. That's why it feels so challenging. The more you resist this difficulty, the more you gain Allah the Almighty's pleasure. For this reason, to wake up easily for the morning prayer, avoid staying up late at night. You should go to bed before midnight, around 10 o'clock or by 11 at the latest, so you can perform your worship properly. Waking up early in the morning is also a blessing for your daily work. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, teaches that the day's blessings come in the morning. There is barakah in your early rising. May Allah help us all. One needs to develop this habit. This practice was common in the past. Now, it's largely disappeared. In the past, by 7 o'clock, streets were full of people going to work and tending to their responsibilities. Now it's not like that. Even children don't go to school until 9 o'clock in the morning. When we were young, we would be at the okul by 7 o'clock. Okul... Sheikh Efendi prefers not to say "okul." No one would arrive at the "mektep" later than 7 or 7:30. Classes would finish by noon. After that, everyone would attend to their affairs. Now that's not the case. People wake up leisurely in the morning. Then they send children to be confined all day. And after all this, they expect good results. May Allah grant goodness, insha'Allah.